Precision plate cooling device



Feb. 2, 1932. H. A. w. woon 1,843,471

I PRECISION PLATE COOLING DEVICE Original Filed June 1926 Sheets-Sheet 1 dwyrc l r /WWM Feb. 2, 1932.

H. A. w. woon 1,843,471:

PRECISION PLATE COOLING DEVICE Original Filed June 3. 1926, 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 2, 1932 HENRY A. WISE WOOD, OF YORIL'N; Y., ASSIGNOR TO WOOD NEWSPAPER MA'- CHINERY CORPORATION, NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF TIRGINIA l PRECISION PLATE oootrivcl; DEVICE Application filed June 3, 1926, Serial No. 113,543. Renewed June 29, 1931.1

rlhis invention relates to a device for' cooling stereotype printing plates.

The principal object of the invention is to provide `means by which the warping of the plates during cooling is prevented, so that they are discharged fromV the cooling device in correct and uniform shape; also to combine the means for holding the plates against warping4 with the means for introducing the 1G cooling fluid so' that'they willcome into action together. -1 i Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafterl., -f i i n Reference is to be had to he accompanying drawings, in which" f l 'l Fig. 1 is a iside view of a gravity shaving andl cooling machine for stereotype plates to which this invention is shown as applied;

Fig. 2 is an endview on enlarged scale of 29 thecooling arch showing the parts in the position they assume beforea plate is ready to be cooled; p y i Fig. Bis a similar view showing the posi@ tion of the parts during the cooling-.operation; 1 Fig. 4 isa longitudinal sectional View showing the details of the cooling means; andf Fig. 5 is a similar view on enlarged scale showing the-se parts more in'detail.

New cast stereotype printing plates are likely to warp and loose their correct shape. when cooled by the application of water to their surfaces. This is due to the contraction of the metal and especially to theV fact that Vthe cross section of the plates at different points is different. The control of this contraction and warping by any such means as applying cooling water in any particularY way has so far proved impossible.

According to' this invention I provide means for positively preventing plates fromY getting out of shape or warping during the cooling operation. This'ensures a perfect curvature for the plate as delivered; When the plateis once cooled it will not change its shape because there are nointernalstrains to cause it to warp. I have shown th'e invention as applied toA v a well-known type of shaving and cooling 15@ machine'inwhich the shaving arch 10'is 'located along an incline, and the plates are delivered therefrom to a cooling arch 11`in a straight line and tothe delivery platform 12. It is to .be understood, however; that this invention can be applied to practically any type of machine in .whichthe stereotype' plate is cooled by water or the like. It is;

of course, especially applicable to the cooling of curved stereot'ypeplates7 butvthe principle.

is'applicable to stereotype 'plates of any other shape and fact to soft castings in gener-ah "The cooling arch illustrated is of the gen-' eral semicylindrical Vform with a convex cooling saddle 13 into which cooling water` is introduced through a pipe 14C controlled by a valve 15. The water'is discharged throughl ports 16 aroundwater deflectors 17. These deflectors ext-endtoone side or the other from the inlets to the water ports 16 to distribute the water along the inside ofthe plate. Ob-

viously, as the water cannotl be distributed equally to every minute part of ythe interior surface of the plate; it is 'convenient to disftribute it in streams so that it will enter between the ribs of the plate which'has already been shavedofl1 by the rotary shaver 19 in thev arch 10. This constitutes a nearly uniform distribution .ofthev water and theoreticallyl should provide for cooling the plate equally' all the way from end to endand also around its semi-circular' interior surface. But the distribution cannot be madesuiiciently even to avoid thel warping which lhas been described.; Furthermore, the tendency of the during cooling,` no matter how the water-.is applied.v i i For the purpose tion of thevplate during cooling, I provide a semi-circular clamp 21 which preferably is composed offa sheet-steelplate. As this is de-A of preventing the distora rod23 along one side of the cooling arch7 and is connected with the opposite side of the i cooling arch by two ormore hinge connecplate is for its straight edges to move bodily V845 u shown in Fig. 2, the plate 21 is raised by the eccentric construction so as to leave a space between the arch 13 and the clamping plate 21 into which the plate P can slide down the usual inclined guides indicated in Fig. 1. At the same time the valve 15 is closed. Now after the plate enters the arch, as shown in Fig. 2, the shaft 25 is operated either by hand or mechanically, but preferably from the camA shaft with which shavers of this kind are provided. It is turned from the position' shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 8. rIhis has the effect of drawing the steel plate 21 down tight against the printing plate so as to clamp it firmly to the cooling saddle.

The saddle, of course, is finished to the correct radius so that the printing` plate, with its ribs previously shavedA to a correct surface, will rest thereon in a true semi-cylindrical condition. rIhe plate is firmly clamped betweenthesetwo surfaces and held at all points by two opposite surfaces which practically engage it. Therefore the cooling of the plate ny the turning on of the water cannot get itv out of its true semi-cylindrical shape.

|The water is turned on when the shaft 25 is turned as above described by means of an arm 27 on the shaft 25, and a system of links 28-29. A spring 30 is employed to pull the valve closed and move the clamping plate 21 up in conjunction with the eccentric 26, thus, the spring always tends to hold these parts in inoperative position.

When the plate has been cooled, the clamps are opened and the water shut off at the same time by turning the shaft 25. The plate is permitted to run down the inclined pathway on the delivery platform 12. It will be understood, of course, that the usual means are employed for stopping the plate in the cooling arch in the proper position for cooling and releasing it, but no such means is shown herein.

In this way it will be seen that the plate gets no chance to warp during the cooling operation, and that as it is delivered from the cooling arch in a perfectly cooled condition it cannot warp or shrink afterwards. In this way instead of correcting the diiiculty by reshaping the plate after it has got into a misshaped condition, the plate is always kept in accurate shape, and never allowed to go through the warping process ordinarily encountered. Furthermore, the water is distributed as evenly as possible over theback of the plate and runs in the passages between the ribs in compact streams, that is, it is not allowed to splash, and air cannot get into it, so that the cooling is as uniform as possible.

Although I have illustrated and described only one form of the invention, I am aware of the fact that modications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without' cooling operation and means for directing streams of cooling liquid through said` saddle` into contact with the inside of the plate.

2. In a coolingarch for curvedstereotype printing plates, the combination with aY semicylindrical cooling saddle havingV the proper shape for supporting the interior surfaces of the shaved ribs of the plate in a semicircular condition, the saddle havingv passages for directing a cooling liquid against Athe concave surface of the printing plate, with meansv for engaging the exteriorV of the plate and holding it firmly in contact withA the saddle and preventing distortion of the plate throughout the cooling operation and means for directing cooling. liquid against the interior o-f theplate at a plurality of points between the ribs.

3. In a cooling device for a stereotype printing plate, the combination with a hollow cooling saddle, and means for discharging water from the interior ofthe saddle on the inside of the printing plate thereon, of a-flexible curved-plate located outside theV saddle and printing` plate, and means for drawing said curved plate down on the surface of the printing plate tokeep the latter from changing its shape during the cooling thereof.

al1.- In a cooling` device for a stereotype printing plate, the combination witha cooling saddle,` and meansvfor discharging water from the saddle on= the inside cf the printingv plate thereon, of a plate located: outside the saddle and printing plate and having a soft liningY for engaging theprinting surface of the plate, and means for forcing the outside plate into contact with the surface of the printing plate to keep' the plate from warping.

5'. In a cooling device for ar curved stereotype' printing plate, the combination with a cooling saddle for supporting the plate, of a bodily movable plate adapted to surround the printing plate, and means for drawing the opposite edges of the steel-plate down to bring the' whole into firm contact with the printing plate'throughout the area of the latter to pre- .'f;

e water from the saddle on the inside of the ing saddle, and means for discharging water from the saddle on the inside of the printing plate thereon, of a curved plate located outside the saddle and printing plate, and means for drawing the curved plate against the'surface of the printing plate to keep it from changing its shape during the cooling thereof, said means comprising a shaft along the side of the saddle adapted to be turned and having means whereby the turning of the y, shaft will bring the free edge of the outer plate into clamping position. a

8. In a cooling device 'for a curved stereotype printing plate, the combination with a cooling saddle, and means for discharging printing plate thereon, of a curved plate located outside the saddle and printing platev and pivoted along one side of the saddle, a shaft along the other side adapted to be turned, and eccentrics on the shaft connected with the free edge of said curved plate Whereby the turning of the shaft will bringdown the free edge of the outer plate into clamping position. Y

9. In a coolingV device for stereotype printing plates, the combination with a cooling saddle having the proper shape for holding the interior of a plate having its ribs properly v shaved and resting on the saddle, with means for engaging the exterior of the plate and holding it rmly in contact with the saddle throughout the cooling operation, said means being pivoted along one edge ofthe arch, a shaft on the other edge having means for bringing that edge of said means down into clamping position, and means connected with said shaft for simultaneously turning water on in the arch.

10. In a cooling device for stereotype print-` I; ing plates, the combination with a cooling saddle for holding astereotype plate, of means for engaging the exterior of theplate and holding it firmly in contact with the saddle throughout the cooling operation, a shaft at the side of the saddle eccentrics on the shaft for bringing said means into clamping position, and means connected with said shaft for simultaneously turning water on in the arch.

1l. In a cooling arch for a stereotype printing plate, the combination of a saddle having a cooling water pipe for directing the water i thereto, a valve for controlling theadmission of water to said pipe, said saddle having openings therethrough for directing the Water against the interior surface of a plate on the saddle, and means for clampingl the printing plate firmly down on the surface ofthe saddle throughout the area of the plate.

12. In a cooling arch for a stereotype printing plate, the combination of a 'saddle having a cooling Water pipe for directing the water thereto, a valve for controlling the admission of water to said pipe, said saddle having openings therethrough, and deiectors for turning the water to one side and causing it to flow evenly along the inner surface of the saddle.

13. In a cooling device for stereotype printing plates, a convex saddleshapedsubstan# i tially to the interior of the cooling plate, a concave former on the convex side of the plate, means for bringing the convex former into firm relation with the plate for the purpose of shaping it, and means for delivering a. cooling medium against the plate for cooling' the latter while it is being held firmly between thesaddle and the former.

la. Ina cooling device for curved stereotype printing plates, the combination 0f a convex saddle shaped to iit the interior of the plate to be cooled, a concave former,means for bringing the former into firm relation with respect to a plate on the saddle for the purpose of shaping it, and means for flowing a' cooling medium through the saddle in streams at av plurality of points against the plate substantially covering the concave surface of the plate to be cooled.

In testimony whereof I have fixed my signature.

HENRY a. wisn wooD.

hereunto af- 

